The present invention is directed generally to a method and apparatus for removing solids from a solid-liquid mixture, as well as the removal of entrained gasses. Example solid-liquid mixtures include, e.g., drilling mud used in the oilfield industry, sewage, coal slurries, mining wastes, feed water for industrial applications, and other mixtures desired to be clarified. By way of one example, the method and apparatus of the present invention could be used alone or in combination with de-silters, de-sanders, de-gassers, shakers and shaker screens, and/or centrifuges used to treat drilling fluids in an oil field application.
The present invention is also directed to an apparatus and method (either as fixed installations, or as mobile systems for rapid deployment) for removal of low gravity solids (LGS) and low gravity colloidal material from liquids, such as, for example, drilling fluids, oil-base drilling fluids (mud), water-base drilling fluid (mud), and other liquids containing LGS or low gravity colloidal material. The systems and methods of the present invention can also be employed in various additional applications, including, for example and without limitation, treatment/separation of supersaturated brines, oil- or bunker fuel-contaminated water (fresh and sea water), offshore oil spill cleanup, slurrified contaminated soils, contaminated liquids, septic system fluids, environmental remediation, including onshore pipeline ruptures where contaminated soil must be cleaned, containment pond cleanups, and oil-contaminated sand (e.g., from oil spills contaminating the beach sand).